Sickness in Paradise
by Kiki102
Summary: Eight in Love in Paradise series. With Camille ill, Richard and Ella have some father/daughter bonding. Oneshot.


**I am crying after tonight's episode. Poor Humphrey. I was hoping right up to the last minute she'd stay. I shall miss Camille. At least we still have fanfiction.**

**Christina x**

**XOXOXOX**

Like clockwork, Ella woke her parents every morning at six thirty. And even though Richard would tell Camille that he'd feed her, Camille was usually up and out of bed before he'd even opened his mouth. So he was surprised to reach Ella's cot without her waking up. Upon seeing her father, Ella stopped wailing, grabbing the collar of his pyjammas tightly with her tiny fist as soon as he picked her up. Richard thought that Ella always seemed a lot more comfortable around him, than he was around her. He loved his daughter, there was no doubt about that, but he was just never quite sure that he had what it took to be a parent.

It wasn't until Ella had finished her bottle that Richard realised Camille hadn't woken up yet. Frowning, he carried Ella up the steps from the kitchen, and saw Camille still sound asleep, on her stomach, arms hugging her pillow.

"Camille," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. He reached out and shook her shoulder gently. "Camille," he repeated. Twisting and burying her head into the pillow, Camille mumbled under her breath. "Camille," Richard said again, shaking her.

"S'en aller!" she replied.

"I don't speak French."

"Go away!"

He put his hand on her forehead.

"Camille you're burning up."

"I feel like hell," she muttered.

"You look like it too," he added under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." He decided it was probably safest to change the subject. "I'm calling your mother."

"Tell her to bring chicken soup," Camille said. Richard made a face, remembering Catherine's chicken soup. "Don't make that face," she admonished.

"Your eyes are closed!"

"I know you."

XOXOXOX

Catherine walked in just as Richard finished tying his tie.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" he asked. Ignoring him, Catherine bent over Ella's cot.

"Good morning ma petitie-fille," she smiled, tickling Ella's stomach, causing the little girl to laugh and kick her legs.

"Apparently not," Richard continued.

"Stop it," Camille snapped, still in bed. Catherine left her granddaughter, and sat down on the bed next to her daughter, putting her wrist to her forehead.

"You're very hot."

"Thank you, I figured that out an hour ago," Richard said. Catherine shushed him. Turning away, sulking, Richard noticed Harry looking at him. He made a face and mimed talking with his hand. Harry gave him that look that reminded him of his mother again, until he turned away uncomfortably.

"Right, I am staying here to look after you," Catherine declared.

"What about Ella?" Camille asked, her concern for her daughter ever present.

"She can come with me," Richard replied. Camille opened her eyes in surprise. "We don't have a case, we'll be in the office all day. She'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Camille asked.

"Yes." He lifted Ella out of her cot and strapped her into the car seat. "Don't worry, we'll be fine," he said, bending to kiss Camille's forehead. Behind him, Catherine smiled softly to herself.

XOXOXOX

"Morning chief," Dwayne called. He noticed Ella. "Mini chief," he added.

"Camille's ill, looks like flu, so she'll be at home for a couple of days, and until we get a case, Ella's staying here so Catherine can look after Camille," Richard explained, lifting Ella in her car seat onto his desk.

"How's my favourite niece today?" Dwayne asked, crouching in front of Émelie.

"She's not your niece," Richard pointed out.

"I know, but she's the closest I have to nieces or nephews," he replied.

"I thought your sister had three kids?" Fidel frowned.

"Yes, but I don't like them They're not nice. I much prefer Ella."

Suddenly Ella started to cry, and Dwayne jumped back. However, as soon as Richard picked her up, she stopped. If he tried to put her down, she immediately started to cry again. Knowing it was going to be a long day, Richard admitted defeat and sat down, holding Ella in one arm.

Mid morning, Fidel and Dwayne left to investigate an attempted goat rustling, leaving Richard and Ella alone in the office. Holding his desk phone to his ear with his shoulder, he called Catherine.

"Hello?"

"How is she?" he asked.

"There's no foreplay with you is there?"

"Not something I really want to discuss with my partner's mother while holding my seven month old daughter."

"She's asleep. She had some chicken soup, which helped." Her tone dared him to insult her soup again. Richard bit his tongue.

"If she gets worse call me, the only case is an attempted goat rustling, which I'm pretty sure even Dwayne can manage."

"How's Ella?"

"She's fine, except that every time I try to put her down she wakes up and starts crying," he replied, looking at the whispy hair on the top of his daughter's head.

"She's a daddy's girl," Catherine smiled. Richard didn't reply. Sensing she'd made him feel awkward, Catherine repeated that she'd call him if Camille got worse and said goodbye.

Ignoring the case file he'd been reading, Richard watched his daughter sleep in his arms, thinking about what Catherine had said.

"The thing is Ella," he said. "I don't know much about fatherly things. My father isn't exactly a glowing endorsement of fatherhood. I don't know the first thing about children. Your mother said the same, but it seems to come a lot easier to her than to me. I'm trying, you know that right? I'm trying. I'll probably end up making every mistake in the book and you'll probably hate me for life, but trying's got to count for something, right? Actually if there was a book I'd probably get on a whole lot better." He paused, studying her tiny features, Camille's nose, then kissed her head lightly. "I love you, that counts too doesn't it? And I'm here. Compared to me, you're miles ahead. And...now I'm talking to myself." Richard glanced at Ella and smiled. "Or not."

XOXOXOX

When they arrived home that evening, Camille was sitting up in bed looking a lot healthier than she had that morning. Her face lit up when she spied her daughter in Richard's arms.

"Hello princesse," she smiled. Ella giggled, leaning forward towards her.

"How are you feeling?" Richard asked. He perched on the edge of the bed before passing Ella to Camille.

"Much better," she replied.

"Good." He leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"Did you have fun with daddy?" Camille asked her daughter, bouncing her on her knee. Richard turned to Catherine.

"Thank you," he said.

"Any time," she smiled.


End file.
